Missing girl found dead, body dumped in water tank

The body of a nine-year-old girl who had been missing for five days in Kakamega was discovered inside a water tank on Saturday. Police retrieved Sharlene Mwanzia's body from a tank behind her parent's house at Scheme Estate in Kakamega. In retaliation, angry neighbours set a blaze the house of the father of the man suspected to be behind Sharlene's kidnap and death.

Uncle to the victim, Oscar Mulu, said he noticed a foul smell and called his neighbours to find out where it was coming from.

“We checked around the plot and found the smell was coming from the suspect's house and specifically the water tank behind the house. We checked the tank and saw the body around 3pm on Friday,” he said.

He alerted the police who came and removed the body which was taken to Kakamega County Referral Hospital morgue. Angered residents who invaded the suspect's house in a compound that also houses other tenants, set ablaze the building, owned by the suspect's father.
They also stormed a nearby flat owned by the suspect's uncle, instructed tenants to move out before they destroyed its window panes and set it ablaze.

Police officers led by OCPD Joseph Chebii struggled to keep the angry crowd calm.

“We are still investigating the matter and we urge the public who knows the whereabouts of the suspect to alert us,” he said.

The girl's father, Oswald Mwanzia and the mother left with the police to record a statement at the police station.

A resident, Mary Khakasa said they are worried about their children's safety.

“The kidnappers are targeting school going children who are unaccompanied. Parents are worried their children might become the next victims,” Khakasa said.

Sharlene, a standard three pupil, was playing with her two younger brothers in their compound last Sunday when she went missing.

Neighbours said a stranger had approached the girl and was seen talking to her at the gate before she disappeared. They said the man has been approaching young girls in the estate and trying to lure them to accompany him.

Occurrences of ritual killings in Kakamega, which are linked to devil worshipping, have caused panic in the community.

In June 2014, the body of Deborah Achieng', a Standard Seven pupil at Nabongo Primary School, was found mutilated. Some of her body parts were chopped off and dumped at a church’s entrance in Kakamega.

The 12-year-old girl’s murder led to several protests by residents who blamed the police for laxity and failure to arrest the culprits. A suspect was arrested and later released by police, leading to more protests. The father of the suspect linked to Sharlene's murder is currently in police custody.